Top Tips for Your Audio Engineering College Choices

Looking for audio engineering schools is quite an endeavor. You have to think about a lot of different things, not in the least your preferred style of learning. Conventionally, going to school would mean sitting behind a desk and listening to lectures by an expert, who would explain the ins and outs of the profession. More and more often, however, less traditional methods of teaching and learning have been recognized as well. One of those is the mentor-apprentice model, which is increasing in popularity as of late. There are no rights or wrongs in this, as both approaches, and all the ones in between those two extremes, have their own merits. It is about what works for you, which is something you have to figure out before you choose your school.

Another important tip in terms of picking the right school, is choosing the right geographical location. Very often, people choose a school that is closest to them or, if they are happy about relocating, in a city that they find personally interesting. But in the world of audio engineering, it is best to choose a geographical location based on the industry. This, in turn, means that you have to think about what you want to do with your degree. For instance, if you want to work on film sets, then an audio engineering school in California, preferably Los Angeles, is best. If, on the other hand, you are interested in music, then schools in cities such as Portland, OR, Memphis, TN, or Seattle, WA are better. Seattle, for instance, is the birthplace of the “Seattle Sound”, also known as grunge. Plus, it is where Jimi Hendrix was born!

One of the key reasons why geographical location is so important, is because you will have to complete an internship. An internship is not just an opportunity to learn the necessary practical skills, it is also an opportunity to start building your professional network and to make contacts that will, eventually, help you land your dream job. While it is certainly not impossible to get a job in Houston, TX if you studied in New York, NY, it is definitely a lot more difficult.

Last but not least, audio engineering is a very technical field. This means that you should investigate the technology used at your school of choice as well. Technology develops at lightning speed, and you have to choose a school that has kept up to date with that, and continues to do so. At the same time, they should not instantly dismiss older technology, because you may find yourself running and internship in, or working for a company that has not yet adopted the latest technological products.

With these tips, you should be able to choose the best school for your needs. There are many other comparison factors that you can take into consideration, including accreditation, reputation, and cost, and they are all important. However, the three issues above will ensure that you get the most out of your degree program, and are therefore the most important of all.